United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2021
This resolution impeaches President Donald John Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors. Specifically, the resolution sets forth an article of impeachment stating that President Trump incited an insurrection against the government of the United States. The article states that prior to the joint session of Congress held on January 6, 2021, to count the votes of the electoral college, President Trump repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the presidential election results were fraudulent and should not be accepted by the American people or certified by state or federal officials; shortly before the joint session commenced, President Trump reiterated false claims to a crowd near the White House and willfully made statements to the crowd that encouraged and foreseeably resulted in lawless action at the Capitol; members of the crowd, incited by President Trump, unlawfully breached and vandalized the Capitol and engaged in other violent, destructive, and seditious acts, including the killing of a law enforcement officer; President Trump's conduct on January 6, 2021, followed his prior efforts to subvert and obstruct the certification of the presidential election, which included a threatening phone call to the Secretary of State of Georgia on January 2, 2021; President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government, threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of government; and by such conduct, President Trump warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold U.S. office.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2021
Women and Climate Change Act of 2021 This bill addresses climate change and its effects on women and girls. Specifically, the bill establishes the Federal Interagency Working Group on Women and Climate Change within the Department of State. The bill outlines the functions of the working group, including the coordination of agencies' policies and activities relating to combating the effects of climate change on women and improving the government's response to and strategy for climate change. In addition, the Office of Global Women's Issues of the State Department must submit a strategy to prevent and respond to the effects of climate change on women.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2021
End Diaper Need Act of 2021 This bill establishes and expands programs to increase access to diapers and related supplies primarily for low-income families. The Department of Health and Human Services must award demonstration grants to entities with experience in community distribution of basic necessities or other community services to meet diapering needs of eligible families with infants and toddlers. Additionally, the bill permits states to use Medicaid funds to provide medically necessary diapers and supplies to certain low-income families. These families must have a child who is over age three and diagnosed with a serious condition such as bowel or bladder incontinence. It also allows individuals to buy medically necessary diapers and supplies with funds from health savings accounts and other tax-advantaged accounts for health care expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2021
This resolution calls upon Vice President Michael R. Pence (1) to immediately use his powers under section 4 of the Twenty-fifth Amendment to convene and mobilize the principal officers of the executive departments to declare that the President is unable to successfully discharge the duties and powers of his office, and (2) to transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House notice that he will be immediately assuming the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2021
This resolution censures Representative Mo Brooks for statements he made before and after the violence and property damage at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2021
COVID-19 Cold Storage Expansion Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to reimburse health care providers for costs to obtain and operate certain equipment capable of maintaining cold storage of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccines. To receive this reimbursement, health care providers must sign an agreement to participate in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 Vaccination Program. The agreement sets out prioritization, reporting, and other requirements for the program.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2021
Local Solutions to End Homelessness Act of 2021 This bill reallocates to urban counties, under certain circumstances, Emergency Solutions Grant funds to help individuals and families regain permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness. Currently, the Department of Housing and Urban Development typically reallocates the funds to the state in which a city or county is located if the funds going to a recipient metropolitan city or urban county are less than a specified amount. The bill generally maintains this reallocation arrangement but also establishes certain circumstances when these funds must go to the urban county in which a recipient metropolitan city is located or to the recipient urban county directly. An urban county receiving reallocated funds designated for a recipient metropolitan city must spend these funds for the benefit of the metropolitan cities located within the county.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Social Security Fairness Act of 2021 This bill repeals provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, such as a pension from a state or local government. The bill eliminates the government pension offset , which in various instances reduces Social Security survivors' benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receive government pensions of their own. The bill also eliminates the windfall elimination provision , which in some instances reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes. These changes are effective for benefits payable after December 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Emmett Till Antilynching Act This bill specifies that an offense involving lynching is a hate crime act. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a prison term, a fine, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Peter J. McGuire Labor Day Landmark Act This bill designates the Peter J. McGuire Memorial and Peter J. McGuire Gravesite in Pennsauken, New Jersey, as the Peter J. McGuire Memorial National Commemorative Site. The Department of the Interior may enter into cooperative agreements to provide the public with educational and interpretive facilities and programs concerning the commemorative site.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Washington, D.C. Admission Act This bill provides for admission into the United States of the state of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, composed of most of the territory of the District of Columbia. The commonwealth shall be admitted to the Union on an equal footing with the other states. The Mayor of the District of Columbia shall issue a proclamation for the first elections to Congress of two Senators and one Representative of the commonwealth. The bill applies current District laws to the commonwealth and continues pending judicial proceedings. The commonwealth (1) shall consist of all District territory, with specified exclusions for federal buildings and monuments, including the principal federal monuments, the White House, the Capitol Building, the U.S. Supreme Court Building, and the federal executive, legislative, and judicial office buildings located adjacent to the Mall and the Capitol Building; and (2) may not impose taxes on federal property except as Congress permits. District territory excluded from the commonwealth shall be known as the Capital and shall be the seat of the federal government. The bill maintains the federal government's authority over military lands and specified other property. The bill provides for expedited consideration of a joint resolution repealing the Twenty-third Amendment to the Constitution, which provides for the appointment of electors of the President and Vice President. The bill continues certain federal authorities and responsibilities, including regarding employee benefits, agencies, courts, and college tuition assistance, until the commonwealth certifies that it is prepared to take over the authorities and responsibilities. The bill establishes the Statehood Transition Commission to advise the President, Congress, and District and commonwealth leaders on the transition.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act This bill establishes the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans. The commission shall examine slavery and discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies. The commission shall identify (1) the role of the federal and state governments in supporting the institution of slavery, (2) forms of discrimination in the public and private sectors against freed slaves and their descendants, and (3) lingering negative effects of slavery on living African Americans and society.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
For the People Act of 2021 This bill addresses voter access, election integrity and security, campaign finance, and ethics for the three branches of government. Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls. The bill requires states to establish independent redistricting commissions to carry out congressional redistricting. Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including sharing intelligence information with state election officials, supporting states in securing their election systems, developing a national strategy to protect U.S. democratic institutions, establishing in the legislative branch the National Commission to Protect United States Democratic Institutions, and other provisions to improve the cybersecurity of election systems. Further, the bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices. The bill addresses ethics in all three branches of government, including by requiring a code of conduct for Supreme Court Justices, prohibiting Members of the House from serving on the board of a for-profit entity, and establishing additional conflict-of-interest and ethics provisions for federal employees and the White House. The bill requires the President, the Vice President, and certain candidates for those offices to disclose 10 years of tax returns.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Community Parks Revitalization Act This bill provides assistance for local park and recreation facilities, programs, and infrastructure. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to carry out a community revitalization program to award grants to local governments for various park and recreation purposes. The grants must be used for (1) rehabilitation and construction of recreational areas and facilities, (2) recreation programming and innovation in delivering such programming, and (3) development of local parks and recreation recovery action programs. To be eligible to receive a rehabilitation and construction grant or a recreation programming grant, a local government must submit a local park and recreation recovery action program. Additionally, HUD may make secured loans for parks and infrastructure projects to entities such as governmental entities, special purpose districts, and corporations. Among other purposes, these loans may be used to develop parks and recreational facilities and to plan, design, and construct trails for pedestrians and bicyclists.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Preventing Future Pandemics Act of 2021 This bill establishes measures to address global public health risks posed by wildlife markets, which are commercial markets that sell or slaughter wildlife for human consumption as food or medicine in communities where alternative nutritional or protein sources are available. Specifically, the bill prohibits importing, exporting, purchasing, or selling live wild animals in the United States for human consumption as food or medicine. The Department of the Interior must hire, train, and deploy at least 50 new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement attachés around the world, and the U.S. Agency for International Development must increase specified activities to address the threats and causes of zoonotic (animal-to-human transmission) disease outbreaks. Additionally, the United States must work with other United Nations member states to urge a global ban on commercial wildlife markets and enforcement of laws to end wildlife trafficking. Further, the President may impose sanctions against a foreign country or foreign nationals that the Department of State has determined are taking certain actions that enable or facilitate commercial wildlife markets. Among other reports required by the bill, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine must conduct a study and submit a report that includes an evaluation of (1) the impact that consumption of terrestrial wildlife as food or medicine has on the transmission of novel viral and other pathogens, (2) the role of consuming terrestrial wildlife as food or medicine in the transmission of microbes from animals to humans, and (3) the conditions at live wildlife markets that lead to this transmission.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing Congress and the states to set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections. The amendment grants Congress and the states the power to implement and enforce this amendment by legislation. They are allowed to distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the imposition of a death penalty sentence for a violation of federal law. It eliminates statutory authority for the death penalty as a sentencing option for federal offenses. It also requires a person who was sentenced to death before enactment of this bill to be resentenced.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Rail Audit Transparency Act This bill requires the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to provide Congress with notice of when a comprehensive safety assessment is being conducted on an intercity or commuter rail transit agency. Specifically, the FRA must (1) provide notice within 10 days after it initiates an assessment to specified congressional committees and each Member of Congress who represents a state in which the service that is subject of the assessment is located, and (2) report the findings of the assessment within 90 days after completion to such committees and Members.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
COVID-19 Prevention and Awareness Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award various grants to federally qualified health centers and other organizations to prevent, treat, and raise awareness of certain diseases or conditions, such as asthma or cancer, that increase the risk of mortality from COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Ensuring Homeowner and Occupant Monetary Encouragement and Stability Act or the Ensuring HOMES Act This bill sets forth additional housing protections during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency period. Mortgage holders and lenders are prohibited from requiring payment on a mortgage deferred during the COVID-19 emergency period until the later of (1) the last day of the loan term, or (2) the end of the deferral period. The bill establishes the Tenant Protection Program that provides loans to landlords who waive rent during the COVID-19 emergency period. The bill also provides for forgiveness of these loans if the landlord provides lease extensions and agrees not to evict tenants. This bill applies retroactively to the beginning of the COVID-19 emergency period and applies to any future declared COVID-19 emergency period.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2020
COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Support Act of 2020 This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award grants to state, tribal, territorial, and local health departments or nonprofits to disseminate information about COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), including regarding the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2020
This resolution declares that public transit benefits all Americans and is a national priority. It finds that prioritizing public transit requires the federal government to provide funding to public transit that is equal to the level of highway funding.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2020
This resolution recognizes the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Paris Agreement, an international agreement to keep global temperature from rising 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels. It also recommends that the United States rejoins the global warming agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2020
This resolution recognizes the 72nd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, supports the designation of Human Rights Day, and encourages the observation of Human Rights Day and a continued commitment to upholding human rights around the globe.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2020
COVID-19 Cold Storage Expansion Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to reimburse health care providers for costs to obtain and operate certain equipment capable of maintaining cold storage of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccines.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2020
Diversity and Inclusion at the Department of State Act This bill establishes the role of Chief Diversity Officer in the Department of State, modifies promotion, training, and mentorship at the State Department, and authorizes the submission of gap memos prior to a performance evaluation. A gap memo is a written record indicating and explaining an employment gap that is due to personal circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2020
Hurricane Eta Relief Act of 2020 This bill designates Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala as temporary protected status (TPS) countries for 18 months from the enactment of this bill. (Qualified nationals of a TPS-designated country shall have work authorization and may not be removed from the United States while the designation is in effect.) A national of one of these countries shall qualify for temporary protected status if the individual (1) has been continuously physically present in the United States since the bill's enactment, (2) meets certain admissibility and eligibility requirements generally required for such status, and (3) registers with the Department of Homeland Security.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2020
This resolution expresses support for a National Day of Mourning for the lives lost as a result of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). It encourages Americans and the President to commemorate the day by observing a moment of silence and ordering flags flown at half-staff, respectively.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2020
Expanded Telehealth Access Act This bill permanently allows audiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and other providers designated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide telehealth services under Medicare, and includes specified related services as eligible Medicare telehealth services. Currently, the CMS is authorized to waive requirements for Medicare telehealth services during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), and it has done so to allow all providers that are otherwise eligible to furnish in-person services under Medicare to also furnish telehealth services.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2020
Advancing Competitiveness, Transparency, and Security in the Americas Act of 2020 This bill supports U.S. economic engagement and diplomatic presence in Latin American and Caribbean countries and implements requirements to counter foreign corrupt practices and malign business practices in the region. Specifically, the bill establishes measures to (1) increase U.S. economic competitiveness and promote the rule of law in Latin American and Caribbean countries, (2) promote regional security and digital security, and (3) protect human rights in the Americas and advance the role of civil society in Latin America and the Caribbean.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2020
Holding Providers Harmless From Medicare Cuts During COVID-19 Act of 2020 This bill temporarily increases payments to providers under Medicare medical services. Specifically, the bill provides an additional payment for certain services in 2021 and 2022 if the otherwise applicable payment is less than what it would have been in 2020. The bill applies to services that are payable under the physician fee schedule, excluding specified outpatient evaluation and management services.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2020
This resolution acknowledges that same-sex couples rely upon court cases that uphold protections for same-sex couples and recognizes that all Americans should be treated fairly regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2020
Save Education Jobs Act This bill establishes through FY2030 the Education Jobs Fund, from which the Department of Education (ED) must award grants to state educational agencies and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to retain and create education jobs. ED must also provide grants to outlying areas and the Bureau of Indian Education. Specifically, LEAs must use subgrants for compensation and benefits to retain existing employees, rehire former employees, and hire new employees. Further, subgrants may be used for certain activities such as training and professional development, providing salary increases to cover extended days or school years to make up for lost instructional time due to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), and developing teacher leadership roles in high-need schools. The bill prohibits the use of subgrants for certain activities, such as funding voucher programs, tax-credit scholarships, or education savings accounts.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2020
This resolution denounces efforts by the Nicolás Maduro regime to hold fraudulent legislative elections and joins members of the international community in rejecting the regime's efforts to carry out those elections. Further, it urges that elections in Venezuela be conducted as soon as possible according to international standards for free, fair, and transparent electoral processes. Additionally, the resolution calls on the Maduro regime to cease its persecution of Venezuala's independent political parties and release all political prisoners, and it calls for Nicolás Maduro and senior members of his regime to be held accountable for their actions.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2020
This resolution condemns the military offensive launched by Azerbaijani and Turkish-backed forces on Artsakh and calls on all involved parties to honor cease-fire negotiations. In addition, the resolution urges the United States to withhold assistance to Azerbaijan until it ceases military operations in Artsakh, enourages open communication between officials of Artsakh and the U.S. government, and calls for the full participation of Artsakh in intergovernmental negotiations regarding its future. (Artsakh is officially recognized as a part of Azerbaijan.)
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2020
Equal Access to Information Act of 2020 This bill requires federal agencies to take specified steps to ensure that individuals with limited English proficiency and people with disabilities can access the services, activities, programs, and benefits of those agencies, particularly during national or public health emergencies or under other specified circumstances. Specifically, each federal agency shall, within specified timeframes conduct demographic assessments of individuals with limited English proficiency and individuals with disabilities who are eligible to be served or likely to be encountered by that agency, establish within the agency a Language Access Working Group, prepare and submit to the Department of Justice (DOJ) an access plan for federally conducted programs and activities, and issue guidance for recipients of federal financial assistance under the agency's jurisdiction. DOJ shall review (1) each plan submitted within 120 days after receipt of the plan, and (2) the most recently submitted plan from each relevant agency not later than 7 days after an emergency has been declared. Agencies shall ensure stakeholder input to ensure meaningful access.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2020
PPE for Safe Schools Act This bill provides funding for grants to state educational agencies and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies to purchase sanitation supplies and personal protective equipment, provide staff training, and hire additional support staff to clean and sanitize school facilities and buses.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2020
Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act This bill establishes grant programs to address neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), and contains other related provisions. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall award grants to eligible entities to support research on and facilitate access to investigational drugs that diagnose or treat ALS. The Food and Drug Administration shall award grants to public and private entities to cover the costs of research and development of drugs that diagnose or treat ALS and other severely debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. HHS shall also establish the Collaborative for Neurodegenerative Diseases, which shall support the development and regulatory approval of drugs that address ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2020
Humane Research and Testing Act of 2020 This bill establishes the National Center for Alternatives to Animal Research and Testing within the National Institutes of Health to promote alternatives to animal research and testing and to reduce the number of animals used in such research and testing. It also requires federal departments or agencies and federally funded research entities that use animals for research and testing to develop plans to reduce the use of animals in their activities and annually report the number of animals that they use to the center. The center must make this information publicly available.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2020
Jamal Khashoggi Press Freedom Accountability Act of 2020 This bill establishes measures to protect the human rights of journalists. Specifically, the bill (1) expands the scope of required reports related to violations of the human rights of journalists, (2) requires the President to impose certain property- and visa-blocking sanctions on persons responsible for gross violations of the human rights of journalists, and (3) prohibits certain foreign assistance to a governmental entity of a country if an official acting under authority of the entity has committed a gross violation of human rights against a journalist.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2020
Energy Resilient Communities Act This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish a program that awards grants to make critical energy infrastructure more resilient to climate change hazards, such as grants for developing clean energy microgrids that support critical community infrastructure or customers of electric utilities with special energy needs due to medical conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2020
Emergency Social Security COLA for 2021 Act This bill applies a 3% cost-of-living increase to Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income payable in calendar year 2021. The bill also disregards this increase for purposes of determining an individual's eligibility for federally funded, means-tested programs.
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2020
Protecting Residents with Oversight, Transparency, and Enforcement for Compassionate Treatment in Long Term Care Facilities Act or the PROTECT Long Term Care Facilities Act This bill establishes a series of requirements for Medicare skilled nursing facilities and Medicaid nursing facilities during declared emergencies relating to infectious disease outbreaks, including specific survey and reporting requirements, and provides funds for state survey agencies to conduct related investigations.
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2020
Promoting Restoration of Emergency Preparedness and Advancing Response to Epidemics in Long-Term Care Act or the PREPARE LTC Act This bill provides statutory authority for certain infection control and emergency preparedness requirements for Medicare skilled nursing facilities and Medicaid nursing facilities, and expands certain requirements to apply to other infectious disease outbreaks beyond COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2020
This resolution supports reauthorizing the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) but opposes any inclusion of apparel, textile, and footwear products in the GSP. Further, it recognizes that including apparel, textiles, and footwear in the GSP would be detrimental to certain imports to the United States and to jobs that depend on the trade generated by those imports.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2020
This resolution expresses support for the designation of National Wildlife Refuge Week. The resolution acknowledges the importance of national wildlife refuges for their recreational opportunities and contribution to local economies. Finally, the resolution reaffirms the support of the House of Representatives for wildlife conservation and the National Wildlife Refuge System.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2020
Supporting Children with Disabilities During COVID-19 Act This bill provides FY2021 supplemental appropriations for grants to assist states in providing special education and related services to children with disabilities and for specified early childhood education programs for children with disabilities. Additionally, the bill specifies reporting requirements related to the use of these funds. It also requires the Department of Education to publish on its website, and the Department of Health and Human Services to release, certain expenditure reports related to these funds. The amounts provided by the bill are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO) and the Senate PAYGO rule.
![Official portrait of Rep. Sires, Albio [D-NJ-13]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s001165_200.jpg)